Sakurajima Volcano Blasts Ash 2,200 Meters Into the Sky

Japan’s Sakurajima volcano erupted on October 16, sending a thick column of ash billowing 2,200 meters above its summit crater over the city of Kagoshima.

Footage from a set of cameras around the volcano operated by Kagoshima-based company Zaiho shows the grey plume punching up from the Minamidake summit crater at 7:01 a.m. and spreading across the morning sky, viewed from several angles including across the bay from the city.

The Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed the eruption from the Minamidake summit crater, with the plume rising 2,200 meters above the crater rim. It kept the volcanic alert level at 3, restricting access to the mountain, and warned of large volcanic rocks and pyroclastic flows within about 2 kilometers of the craters.

The agency said sulfur dioxide emissions measured on October 14 had risen to 2,000 tons a day from 1,300 tons in late September, and that GPS data had shown slight swelling of the volcano since around May 2026. With magma accumulated deep beneath the Aira caldera, eruptive activity is expected to continue.